Energy Efficiency and System Performance

An energy-efficient system not only performs well, but also provides indoor comfort, good air quality, and acoustics with lower carbon emissions and a longer service life. 

AMCA collaborates with government agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders to achieve practical and cost-effective voluntary and regulatory energy-efficiency measures. 

We encourage and support the industry professionals and manufacturers that update their products and practices in compliance with the latest standards, technologies, and tools.

Learn more about our efforts. 

United States

AMCA is actively involved in developing energy codes and standards, utility rebate programs, and government regulations.

We have developed a new fan-efficiency metric, fan energy index (FEI) in response to the 2013 U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) rulemaking indicating a preference for a metric based on electrical power consumption, which differed from the fan efficiency grade (FEG) metric. We have indicated FEI into:

• AMCA Standard 205, Energy Efficiency Classification for Fans 
• ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1 Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
• IgCC® — Powered by ANSI/ASHRAE/ICC/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1: A Comprehensive Solution for High-Performance Buildings
• California Title 24 building energy-efficiency standard
• California Energy Commission: Appliance Efficiency Regulations – Title 20

However, if federal regulations become too restrictive, it can limit the flexibility of these model codes and standards to address the specific needs of local jurisdictions. As a result, utility rebate programs for commercial and industrial fans may not be able to achieve the reasonable benchmarks necessary to drive returns on investment for higher-efficiency products. It's essential to balance these aspects to ensure effective energy conservation.

Occupant and Building Protection

Active safety measures are designed to suppress or extinguish fire, while passive safety measures prevent the spread of fire and smoke, which is the leading cause of death in case of a fire. Unfortunately, in many cases, passive forms of fire protection are overlooked in favor of active ones, primarily due to cost-saving measures, rather than performance.

AMCA recommends multiple safeguards for the protection of people and property in the event that one fails, other measures will still be in place to prevent the spread of fire and smoke.

Fire-protection requirements vary according to building characteristics. Know your facility, including its use and occupancy, height and area limitations, and materials of construction.

Understand how fire-protection systems interface with other major building systems and each other.

Codes and Standards

AMCA is active in the development and refinement of codes and standards affecting occupant and building protection, including:

• NFPA 80: Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives
• NFPA 90A: Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems
• NFPA 90B: Standard for the Installation of Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Systems
• NFPA 92: Standard for Smoke Control Systems
• NFPA 101: Life Safety Code
• NFPA 105: Standard for Smoke Door Assemblies and Other Opening Protectives
• NFPA 204: Standard for Smoke and Heat Venting
• NFPA 5000: Building Construction and Safety Code

Large Diameter Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are popular for providing air mixing, destratification, and cooling effects in residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural settings.

The U.S. Department of Energy defines large-diameter ceiling fans (LDCF) as having a blade span greater than 7 feet (2.1 meters). It's important to note that not all LDCF are high-velocity, low-speed (HVLS) fans.

DOE Actions

December 27, 2020: The Federal Omnibus Bill contained the Ceiling Fan Improvement Act from Energy Act 2020 Section 1008 changing the cfm/W regulatory metric for LDCF to Ceiling Fan Energy Index (CFEI).

May 5, 2021: A “Technical Erratum Notification” was issued by AMCA International for ANSI/AMCA Standard 230-23 with errata: Laboratory Methods of Testing Air-Circulating Fans for Rating and Certification, which is referenced in the DOE test procedure for LDCF. The erratum corrects the electrical input power measurement to standard air density.

May 7, 2021: The DOE conducts an early assessment review for the amended Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Products; Early Assessment Review; Ceiling Fans. They are seeking data and input from industry stakeholders to evaluate the need to amend the standards, based on energy savings, feasibility, and economic justification.

May 27, 2021: DOE published the CFEI codification of the Ceiling Fan Improvement Act in Federal Register, thereby integrating CFEI Codification Federal Register Rules and Regulations and removing cfm/W for LDCF.

June 3, 2021: DOE extends the CFEI Codification Federal Register Rules and Regulations RFI deadline to June 28, 2021, following requests from AMCA International and the American Lighting Association, and with a letter of support from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

Certified Ratings Program

The AMCA Certified Ratings Program (CRP) was instituted to provide assurance that manufacturers’ product ratings are accurate and enable comparisons of like products across manufacturers. The AMCA CRP currently covers more than 4,000 product lines worldwide.

AMCA tests per ANSI/AMCA Standard 230-23 with errata | Laboratory Methods of Testing Air Circulating Fans for Rating and Certification and certifies LDCF ratings per AMCA Publication 211-22 (Rev. 01-23):Product Rating Manual for Fan Air Performance .

Search for AMCA Certified Product Lines and type-large diameter ceiling fan. Click on any of the resulting manufacturers to obtain links to catalogs of certified LDCF models.

Industry Team